It's good to be smart. After all, intelligent people earn more money, accumulate more wealth, and even live longer. But there's another side to the story. The brightest people and strongest leaders sometimes make errors others don't, especially in situations that require common sense.
Travis Bradberry, president at TalentSmart, explained in his post Why Smart People Act So Stupid thatRational thinking and intelligence don't tend to go hand in hand. Intelligent people are more prone to silly mistakes because of blind spots in how they use logic. These blind spots exist because smart people tend to be overconfident in their reasoning abilities.They are so used to being right and having quick answers that they don't even realise when they're making a mess by answering without thinking things through.
A lifetime of praise leads smart people to develop too much faith in their intelligence and abilities. They often fail to recognise when they need help, and when they do recognise it, they tend to believe that no one else is capable of providing it.
It's hard for anyone to graciously accept the fact that they're wrong. It's even harder for smart people because they grow so used to being right all the time that it becomes a part of their identity, Bradberry wrote.For smart people, being wrong can feel like a personal attack, and being right, a necessity.
Smart people also have a hard time accepting feedback. They tend to undervalue the opinions of others,which means they have trouble believing that anyone is qualified to give them useful feedback: Not only does this tendency hinder their growth and performance, it can lead to harmful relationships, both personally and professionally.
Smart people develop overachieving personalities because things come so easily to them. They simply don't understand how hard some people have to work to accomplish the same things, and because of that, they push people too hard. They set the bar too high, and when people take too long or don't get things quite right, they assume it's due to a lack of effort. So they push even harder.
46. What do we learn from the passage about the brightest people?
(A) They can make silly mistakes in straightforward situations.
(B) They usually turn a blind eye to their own weaknesses.
(C) They are admired by people around them.
(D) They can differ in their personalities.
47. What accounts for the existence of intelligent people's logical blind spots?
(A) Their irrational way of thinking.
(B) Too much faith in their ability to think.(
C) Their ignorance of behavioural science (D) Too much concern about their work.
48. How do smart people react when they are found to be wrong?)
(A) They shift the blame to others.
(B) They graciously accept the facts.
(C) They may feel shocked.
(D) They may get offended.
49. What may happen to smart people who find it difficult to accept suggestions?
(A) They may suffer in their professional and private life.
(B) They may lose faith in their administrative abilities.
(C) They may commit more errors than ever before.
(D) They may experience a lot of emotional stress.
50. What is said about those working with or under overachieving people?
(A) They put a lot of effort into their work.
(B) They set higher goals for themselves.
(C) They are under increasing pressure.
(D) They take less time to get things done.
答案解析：
由题干中的关键词“the brightest people”定位到第一段最后一句和第二段。“The brightest people and strongest leaders sometimes make errors others don't, especially in situations that require common sense.”以及“Intelligent people are more prone to silly mistakes because of blind spots in how they use logic.”表明最聪明的人在简单情况下会犯愚蠢错误，所以选 A。
由题干中的关键词“logical blind spots”定位到第二段。“These blind spots exist because smart people tend to be overconfident in their reasoning abilities.”说明聪明人逻辑盲点存在的原因是他们对思考能力过度自信，即过于相信自己的思考能力，所以选 B。
由题干中的关键词“when they are found to be wrong”定位到第四段。“It's even harder for smart people because they grow so used to being right all the time that it becomes a part of their identity...being wrong can feel like a personal attack”表明聪明人发现自己错时会觉得是个人攻击，可能会感觉被冒犯，所以选D。
由题干中的关键词“find it difficult to accept suggestions”定位到第五段最后一句。“Not only does this tendency hinder their growth and performance, it can lead to harmful relationships, both personally and professionally.”说明难以接受建议的聪明人在职业和个人生活中会遭受不良影响，所以选 A。
由题干中的关键词“overachieving people”定位到最后一段。“They set the bar too high, and when people take too long or don't get things quite right, they assume it's due to a lack of effort. So they push even harder.”表明与过度追求成就的人一起工作的人会面临更大压力，所以选 C。
